


Not Quite Paradise

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Pete's World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 17:22:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14753120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: The Doctor wakes up in Pete's world with a strangely human body and no memory of how he got there.





	Not Quite Paradise

_I'm part human. Specifically, the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate. I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you, if you want._

The Doctor awoke with a start, and the dream vanished.  Harsh lighting assaulted his eyes sending searing pain through his skull and he instinctively covered his face with his arms.  He cautiously opened them again and had to blink several times before his surroundings became clear to him. He was in a small, bright, sterile looking room.  Three of its walls were painted an ugly shade of green and the fourth was a single pane of glass. Beyond the glass was a nondescript hallway. He couldn’t see any doors either.  There were also no windows to look out of, only a small barrier to offer some privacy for the crude looking toilet and sink. The only piece of furniture in the room was the very uncomfortable narrow bed he was sitting on.  There weren’t any sheets, and the pillow looked lumpy.

This was hardly the first time he had found himself in such a place.  Was he in a prison? A hospital? He looked over the walls and ceiling for any sort of control panel he could commandeer and – with a little jiggery-pokery – hopefully escape.

He sighed.  Not so much as a light switch.

“Hello?”  He called out, his voice a bit hoarse.  He cleared his throat and tried again.

“Anyone here?  Donna?” His voice echoed through the room.  Only silence answered.

There seemed to be no one around at the moment.  If Donna was being similarly held, no doubt she was kicking up a major fuss.  He didn’t seem to be harmed in any way, so he assured himself she was safe for the moment.  Her captors on the other hand? Well, they may be sporting bruises for the foreseeable future.

He reached out with his other senses and tapped into some of his Time Lord abilities.  Gravity felt Earth normal, so he was probably in the company of humans. It didn’t smell coppery around the edges and he didn’t hear or feel anything resembling any sort of engines.  He was definitely somewhere with actual gravity and not that artificial stuff.

Knowing his luck, he was probably in early 21st century London on good ol’ planet Earth.  

Again.

But something just felt off.  He didn’t remember how he got to this place, for a start.  He couldn’t even tell how long he was out, and usually he could calculate that down to the nearest nanosecond if he really wanted to.

The Doctor went to reach into his pocket to pull out his sonic screwdriver to scan his surroundings and was a bit confused when he couldn’t find his pocket.  He looked down at himself was quite startled to see that someone had relieved him of his suit and he was now dressed in simple white cotton pyjamas that didn’t even have pockets.

He thought idly to himself whether it was his brown suit or the blue.  It was such a silly, random thought. Hardly worth considering, really.  What did it matter what colour suit he put on that morning? But he had a hard time remembering which one it was, but the answer seemed profoundly significant.

_I like blue. What do you think?_

Those words filtered randomly through his mind in his voice.  It was like he was remembering part of a conversation he once had, but as soon as he tried focusing on the memory he was forced to squeeze his eyes shut and cried out as pain flared inside his skull.

He concentrated on his breathing and tried to ride the pain out.  His heart was beating too fast.

Wait.

His hand flew to the left side of his chest where he felt a strong pulse.  He moved his hand to the right side.

Nothing.

_My single heart. Because I'm a complicated event in time and space._

Again, words spoken in his voice.  Where were they coming from? He never said anything of the sort!

Right?

_No, wait. I'm part Time Lord, part human._

He grabbed fistfuls of his hair and screamed out in pain.  It felt like his head was trying to rip itself apart each time the voice spoke in his head.

Perhaps this was actually an insane asylum!

“Doctor?”  A very familiar voice called out to him.

“No.  Please no.” He whimpered pitifully, curling in on himself.  Imagining his own voice in his head was painful enough. Hearing this particular voice was torture of a different kind.  At one time, he would be happy to hear this voice. Loved listening to it for hours on end. Then it was ripped from him, and he knew it was impossible to hear it again.

“Doctor, please look at me.” The voice implored him.  He shook his head, the motions so painful it nearly made him sick.  “It’s alright. You’ll be okay, I promise. Just, please look at me.”

With great difficulty, the Doctor lifted his head.  Just there, kneeling beyond the glass, he saw probably the most beautiful sight he’d ever see in his life.

“Rose?” He breathed, unsure if he should trust his eyes.  She nodded.

“Hi.”

Hope flared up inside him, but he knew he should still be cautious.  It was possible that this wasn’t his Rose, rather a cruel joke. But his precious Rose practically ate impossible for breakfast.  He couldn’t fully discount the possibility that she was really here.

She didn’t look exactly like he remembered.  She looked slightly older, and so very tired, but still breathtakingly beautiful.  She wore a bright blue leather coat with a pink shirt underneath. Black trousers and sturdy black boots completed the ensemble.

Another random thought struck him as he thought she complimented his look quite nicely while using elements of his former self.  It was and absolute departure from her usual jeans and T-shirt. But it suited her perfectly.

“Rose!”  He spoke her name louder this time, but his voice was still hoarse from screaming.  She smiled even wider at him, her tongue resting in between her teeth. Oh, he had missed that smile!  It had the ability to strengthen him and turn his insides into jelly at the same time. He smiled back.  It was impossible not to.

“Please tell me I’m not dreaming.  That you’re not some sort of trick or – or delusion.”  He begged her.

“This is all real, Doctor.  I promise.”

“Prove it.  Prove to me you’re really Rose Tyler.”  Usually, Rose’s word was her bond, and the Doctor trusted her implicitly.  But given the strange circumstances he found himself in, he needed to be absolutely sure.

Rose seemed to understand. She nodded before she stood up from where she was kneeling on the ground and pressed her hand to the glass.  Part of it lit up and he could make out some kind of computer interface. Although he saw the whole interface backwards, a logo briefly popped up that he was sure he recognised, a sort of large ‘T’ shape made up of several hexagons.  He didn’t have time to process it, before several bland icons appeared. She tapped a couple of the icons and the glass began to glow. A small rectangular hole opened up in the middle of the glass. The air shimmered a bit as Rose passed her hand through it.  The Doctor scrambled to his feet, ignoring any and all protests his body made while doing so and stumbled towards her.

About halfway there, the room began to spin on him.  He tried to regain his balance but found himself unable to.  He fell onto his knees, the ground hard and unforgiving. He smacked the floor with his palm and growled in frustration as he tried to stand, but his strength was quickly failing him.  The Doctor looked up at Rose, who had such a look of worry on her face. Shaking and panting with exertion he crawled the rest of the way on his hands and knees, desperate to get to her.  He reached up and took her hand in his without any hesitation.

Their fingers twined together exactly like they always had.  He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back, her thumb brushing lightly over his knuckles.  His eyes slid shut at the sensation as he heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He never realised just how much he had craved her touch over the years.  He adjusted his grip slightly so he could press his fingers to her inner wrist. A weak smile crossed his face when he found her pulse.

Their touch also allowed him to reach out to her telepathically.  Touching her head would give him a clearer picture, but even this limited physical contact was enough for what he needed to do.  He only brushed over the surface of her consciousness – he knew she had an aversion to people accessing her mind without her permission – but it was enough.  

“Rose Tyler.”  He whispered her name like a prayer.  “My Rose.” He pressed kisses to the back of her hand, her palm, her wrist… anywhere he could reach.  He didn’t even stop to think that he had never been so openly affectionate with her before. He didn’t care.  She was _real_.

She brought her other hand through the opening and brushed his hair back from where it was sticking to his sweaty forehead.  He looked up at her, she still had tears in her eyes but now she was smiling.

“My Doctor.”  She cupped his cheek, and he nuzzled into her touch.  She tenderly caressed his face and lightly ran her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp.  He practically purred. She giggled at his reaction. Realising the sound he just made, he let out a shy laugh.

“Rose, how did I get here?  And, come to think of it, where exactly _is_ here?”  He asked her.

“You’re safe, I promise.  And, I’m sorry about this.  We had to put you in here for your safety.  I’ll explain everything when you get out. It won’t be much longer.  Please, just rest for now.” The tone of her voice was soothing, and so was her touch as she continued playing with his hair.  But he hated not knowing. This lack of knowledge was making him very anxious.

“What’s wrong with me?”  He clutched at the right side of his chest.  It felt so empty. “I – I don’t know what happened.  Why do I feel all… all _human!?!_ I mean, no offence, but it’s quite… _erugh._...”  He grimaced.  He loved humans, but it didn’t mean he wanted to be one.  Rose placed her fingers on his lips to quiet him.

“Shh, the answers will come, I promise you.  You’re safe here.”

White hot pain flared behind his eyes, and it was all he could do not to cry out.

His voice rang inside his head again in words he never recalled saying.  What it said gave him pause.

_You were born in battle, full of blood and anger and revenge._

“Am I dangerous?  Is that why I’m locked up?”  He looked up at her, panic clearly evident in his eyes.  She smiled and shook her head fervently.

“No, you’re not.”  Rose said with conviction.  She cupped his chin and tilted his head up slightly so he was looking directly into her eyes.  “You’re a good man, Doctor. The best I’ve ever known.” He let out a sigh of relief.

“Still, I can’t seem to remember how I got here… why can’t I…?”  He tried turning his thoughts back to the last few hours. He couldn’t remember anything between wandering around the Shan Shen market with Donna wondering where she had gotten to and waking up in this room.  He tried concentrating harder but a fresh burst of pain rushed through his skull. His body convulsed in agony as he slid out of Rose’s grip and fell hard against the floor.

He would never know just how much he was screaming as everything went black.

_We’ve got to go.  This reality is sealing itself off forever._

_But, it’s still not right, because the Doctor’s still you._

_And I’m him._

_All right.  Both of you, answer me this: When I last stood on this beach, on the worst day of my life, what was the last thing you said to me?  Go on, say it._

He heard strange noises.  The sounds of panicked voices, one of them Roses and another male voice.  He tried making out what they were saying, but found he couldn't concentrate properly.  Was he still dreaming?

“His mind must be still repairing itself.”  Rose’s voice filtered through his mind.

Meaningless sounds to his ears.  Part of his mind started to try and decipher them.  Rose often said the perfect things at the most critical moments.

“How do you know?”  a male voice. Why was she speaking to another man?  He was probably pretty too…

Concentrate, Doctor!  Rose is speaking again.

“He said so himself!  Now, Rory help me get him up on the bed.”

Hands took hold of him.  First rolling him over and lifting him up.

He was flying!

He was laid gently down again, and he felt a crushing disappointment.  He always wished he could fly.

He felt a pair of lips press gently against his forehead as oblivion took him once more.

_He needs you.  That’s very me._

_You’ll grow old at the same time as me?_

_And you, Doctor?  What was the end of that sentence?_

_Hold on, this is the parallel universe, right?_

_You’re back home._

He could feel himself regaining consciousness again.  He found that he was somehow moved back onto his little bed, and he was alone once more.

He called out for Rose, but his voice was weak and barely above a whisper.  There was no response. She had told him to get some rest, maybe she was letting him do just that. But he couldn’t help but feel gutted that she wasn’t there. He rolled onto his side, one hand sliding under his pillow.  His fingers brushed against something new. It was a piece of paper. He pulled it out and found a short, handwritten note.

 

> _“Dear Doctor,_
> 
> _I’ll be back soon.  Try to behave and actually get some rest._
> 
> _I know you’re going barmy in there, but please: stay put!_
> 
> _-Love, Rose.”_

The Doctor smiled.  She knew him all too well.  How many prisons have they escaped from in the past?  Even without his screwdriver?

Still, being confined by Rose was a new one.  Unless he counted the time she accidently locked him in a tiny shipping crate that was due to be delivered to another galaxy for hours.  

Fun times.

He lay back down deciding to go along with her request.

For now.

He turned his mind back to his strange dreams or memories, whatever they were.  They were just snippets of conversations. That’s all he could grasp. And he was sure they were out of order as none of it made any real sense.  It was a combination of his voice and Roses. It was strange, with his voice it sometimes sounded like he was actually speaking, and others it sounded like someone else was talking in his voice.  It was incredibly disconcerting.

He concentrated on the words, forcing them to remain in his memory.  Pain flared in his head again, but he was expecting it this time and with some difficulty was able to keep the worst of it at bay.  He was certain these weren’t dreams, but somehow memories. Nothing made sense, but he had seen some truly insane things over the centuries.

His body would automatically go into a healing coma when enough trauma had occurred, so maybe it was just being interrupted?  Why couldn’t they just take him to the zero room on board the TARDIS? There he could rest uninterrupted. He was certain he told Rose about it…

The TARDIS!  Where was it?  He tried reaching out his perceptions again, but he couldn’t feel it!  Perhaps he was too weak. Maybe it wasn’t even nearby!

He tried to piece things together in his head using all the things he remembered from these strange dreams.  He thought he heard Rose say something about being in the parallel universe. Did he crash while trying to enter Pete’s world?  That could explain why he couldn’t sense the TARDIS.

Did he jump a time track?  That could explain the partial amnesia…

Or he could just be on another more elaborate version of _Big Brother_.  Somehow, he didn’t think so.  First off, Rose wouldn’t willingly go along with that, and second this situation would be a rubbish story and frankly too boring for television!

And why did he seem to have only one heart?

Another wave of pain struck him, and he nearly blacked out again from it.

_I'm sorry, it's too late. I'm regenerating._

The Doctor bolted upright.  Bad idea. His now strangely human body protested.  He only had a moment’s notice to turn his head before he began retching, but there appeared to be nothing in his stomach but bile.  The bitter taste assaulted his dry tongue and made him feel even more ill and he heaved even more. The muscles in his gut spasmed painfully and his jaw was locked open as his body tried to purge things that weren’t there.  Tears streamed down his face as he gasped for air but felt like he wasn’t getting any in. He didn’t seem to possess a respiratory bypass anymore. He couldn’t even get any breaths in through his nose it was so clogged with mucus.  His skin felt unnaturally warm and clammy, and he could feel beads of cold sweat collecting at his temples and dripping down his face. After several agonising moments, he felt himself regaining control of his body and was able to sit up properly again.  His gasping breaths turned into ragged coughs, and it took him quite a bit more time to get those under control and to breathe normally again. He felt his skin cooling, and now felt chilled, even though his temperature was far warmer than his usual 15°C.  His skin even broke out in gooseflesh as he shivered. He rubbed his hands over his arms to get rid of the odd sensation.

This was hardly his most dignified moment in any of his lives.

He regenerated?  That was certainly a possibility.  But his voice still sounded the same?  Why did he only have one heart?

He swallowed, his mouth and throat were dry and the disgusting taste of bile lingered.  He slowly stood up and made his way to the sink, avoiding looking into the small mirror hanging above it for the moment.  He turned on the cold water and thoroughly rinsed out his mouth before taking several large gulps of water to soothe his parched throat.  He splashed some water on his face and scrubbed with his hands washing away any remnants of sick. His face felt like it was the same narrow, angular shape he had in his most recent incarnation, but there was only one way to confirm.  He took a deep breath to steady himself before he looked up at his reflection.

A pair of familiar dark brown eyes stared back at him in the mirror.  His skin was slightly paler than usual, but that was hardly surprising seeing the stress he was under.  Dark circles lay just underneath his eyes along with several patches of bright red petechiae mixing in with his already freckled cheeks – a side effect of his violent bout of nausea. The mop of brown hair he was so particular about was looking very flat, and his fringe was matted to his sweaty forehead. He tried fixing it to no avail. Judging by the dark stubble on his jaw and neck that was blending in with his sideburns, he figured he’d been out for at least a day, day and a half at most.

In short: he looked like hell.  But his face was just as he remembered it.

Okay, so he regenerated and kept the same face?  He heard about a few other Time Lords who had done the same, but those were only unconfirmed rumors.  But he was human now?

Regenerating was always a tricky business, one never knew what they were going to end up with next.  He knew a few people back on Gallifrey who switched gender upon regenerating, and then there was his godmother who quite strangely ended up with two heads!  One face could look youthful, the next old. Their skin colour could change from dark ebony to bright ivory and every shade in-between. The combinations seemed limitless!  But he never heard of anyone changing species before!

He thought again how there seemed to be someone else speaking with his voice.  The most plausible explanation was that he was talking to himself from another point in time. Usually when that happened, he was interacting with another incarnation.

He was certain he heard Rose use the term ‘ _both_ of you’.  He was in a lot of pain earlier, but he seemed to recall himself saying that he was indeed part Time Lord, part human.

_Well, isn’t that wizard?_

The pain shot through his head again, but it wasn’t as pronounced.  His voice again, and it sounded like him speaking. But the tone and strange idiom sounded more like something Donna would say!

Rassilon’s knickers!  What was going on?!?

Time Lord/Human hybrids didn’t just happen!  Never in the histories of Gallifrey or Earth did the two species ever intermarry.  Over the centuries reproduction became far more detached when Looming became the norm.  Very few Gallifreyans were born ‘naturally’ anymore – the Doctor was actually one of the very rare cases.  He wasn’t even sure if it was possible for the two races to even produce offspring through – ahem – _conventional_ means!

Plus, he was hardly a child.  He had over nine-hundred years worth of memories, minus however long he was out for just now.

It was a moot point anyway.  His entire race was dead. Only he remained, and he didn’t even seem to be a full Time Lord anymore.

“Oh, sweetheart.”  The Doctor started and looked up.  He was surprised to see Jackie Tyler staring back at him, her hands pressed against the glass.  She looked at him as if he was her own son, and her heart was breaking for him. But the glass was preventing her from reaching out to hold him in one of her too tight hugs.  For once he wouldn’t have minded. He had a feeling she would have adopted him given half the chance. Never mind the fact that he had centuries on her.

Then, in typical Tyler fashion, her mood changed on a dime, and went from being all maternal to nearly blind rage.  She pounded hard on the glass with her fist. The pain behind his eyes flared with each strike. “Oi, Rory! Can’t we get ‘im out of this bloomin’ room yet?  ‘E’s suffering!” She shouted at someone down the hall, out of the Doctor’s line of vision.

“Sorry, Mrs. Tyler.  Standard procedure. Just thirty minutes more.”  A young man wearing a white lab coat over a set of blue scrubs walked up and stood beside Jackie.  He was tall and thin, with sandy blonde hair, a prominent nose and blue eyes.

Half an hour longer!?!  The Doctor felt his left eye twitch.  He was already going mad with boredom in here!  They could’ve at least given him a book or let him watch some television or something…

Or better yet, a full report on precisely what was going on?

Oh well, at least he had a steady stream of visitors, even if one of them was Jackie Tyler.  And this Rory person. Whoever he was.

“Jackie.  Long time no see.”  He mustered up a genuine smile.  Despite their rocky past, he was truly glad to see her.  Jackie grinned back at him. “And uh, Rory, right?” He addressed the young man, who nodded.

“Dr. Rory Williams.”  He young man confirmed.  For a moment, the Doctor could see something about this man.  He rarely consciously looked at people’s timelines, but with certain people, he could get a sense of their potential, even from a distance.  And a great majority of the time, he would invite these particular people to be his companions. He could see that there was something very special about Rory.

“Is everything okay?”  Rory asked. The Doctor blinked, not realising he had been staring quite intently at him.

“Hm?  Oh yeah, everything’s absolutely brilliant.  Peachy keen, really. Weeell, aside from being locked up in a cage with almost an entirely new biology and what feels like a _wicked_ hangover!  Almost feels as bad as that time Jack shared his hyper-vodka with me.  Oh, what a fun time that was! Jack Harkness. Heh! One of the very few humans who could drink me under the table…”  Jackie and Rory exchanged glances. His gob certainly came out of this whole ordeal intact.

“Still, things could be a _lot_ worse.  Jackie could’ve brought me some of her Sheppard’s pie for tea.”  The Doctor deadpanned.

“Oi!”

Rory snickered at Jackie’s outrage.  Oh, yes. The Doctor could tell he was going to like him.

“Where’s Rose?”  The Doctor asked, his tone now serious.

“Finally convinced her to get some sleep.  She really desperately needs it.” Rory replied.

“Been up for nearly two days, poor thing.”  Jackie added. She shook her head. “Nearly ran herself into the ground tryn’ to get back to you!  Day after day. She was so _obsessed!_ But, I never doubted she would.  Loves you so much, she does.”

Suddenly, a vision of Rose grabbing hold of his jacket and snogging him senseless entered his mind.  Now, he always had a vivid imagination, but this felt so _real_.  He could feel the texture of her soft lips, how they moulded with his.  How each subtle movement of her lips against his sent shivers down his spine.  The cold ocean wind stinging his skin contrasted by the warmth of her arms as they wrapped around his neck.  The silky texture of her hair through his fingers. The sweet smell of her perfume. The taste of her lip-gloss (strawberry banana!).  He could feel the love she was pouring out to him and it made him feel…

"Feeling better, love?”  The Doctor shook himself back into the now.  It was entirely possible it was just a daydream, but something told him it wasn’t.  Especially with the way Rose had been running her fingers through his hair earlier and how she didn’t seem to mind him being more than a little affectionate towards her.  Either way, he didn’t feel it appropriate to fantasize about Rose in front of Jackie, no matter how easy it was to do.

“Oh, I just feel like I’ve been shot by several insane Daleks.  Nothin’ I can’t handle.” He shrugged, but he didn’t miss how all the colour drained from Jackie’s face, and how Rory awkwardly shuffled his feet.  He decided to get right to the point.

“Jackie, where are we?”  She looked back at him and bit her lip, looking as if she was scared to tell him.  The Doctor gathered up all the strength he had and staggered towards her. He was feeling quite a bit stronger now, but each step was still a struggle.  He leaned heavily against the glass, panting slightly from the exertion of just crossing the room.

“You’re safe.”  She insisted. “And I promise the _moment_ you’re outta ‘ere…”

“Jackie!”  He huffed in frustration.  He just needed a straight answer!

“Rose didn’t want me to say because she knows how’d you react.  ‘Specially with your head the way it is right now…”

“S’okay, mum.  I think we can tell him.”

“Rose, Rory and I told you to get some sleep!”  Jackie tutted at her daughter. Rose rolled her eyes at her mum as she sidled up beside her.  She took a deep breath and looked the Doctor straight in the eyes.

“You’re inside Torchwood, Doctor.”  The name hit him like a tonne of bricks.  And now he felt foolish for not recognising the obvious earlier.  That ‘T’ logo. He _knew_ he’d seen it before!

“And this is Pete’s World?”  The Doctor guessed. Rose nodded.

“Yeah.”

Rose stepped up to the glass and activated the interface again.  She glanced at the Doctor.

“Stand back a mo.”  He shuffled back as she quickly typed in a series of commands and the entire pane of glass began to shimmer, and the sound of a gas exchange filled the Doctor’s tiny room.

“ROSE!”  Rory practically screamed.  “I don’t have to remind you that standard quarantine protocol…”  Rose rolled her eyes and glared at him.

“Quarantine!”  The Doctor smacked the side of his head, then instantly regretted it.  “Should’ve guessed. Bit obvious…”

“I’ve read the procedures, Rory.  The final thirty minutes is only a precaution only in cases of severe radiation exposure and not strictly necessary otherwise.”  Rose calmly stated.

“Yes, but he’s…”  Rory tried to argue.

“Absolutely fine.”  Rose cut in, clearly exasperated.  “You saw the scans, same as I did. He’s no danger to anyone.  In fact, he’s responsible for saving us all. Again!”

“I read the report.”  Rory replied, deflating slightly.  Jackie was shooting Rory a proud, yet smug grin.  Rose kept the air of authority, but she had a twinkle in her eye that the Doctor couldn’t help but smile at.

“Fantastic!”  The Doctor snickered at her word choice and could tell she was trying desperately to keep a straight face.  “Now, if you have a problem, Dr. Williams, you can take it up with Director Tyler.  He wants to speak with you right now anyway.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Rory sighed before disappearing down the hallway.

The glass flashed brightly once, and then disappeared completely.  The Doctor reached his arm out experimentally and smiled when it passed through were the glass was.

He was free.

Rose took a step towards him, and was about to take another, but before she could, the Doctor rushed towards her and enveloped her in a tight hug.  He held her flush against himself and was delighted when Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. At last, he felt complete after being separated from Rose for so long.  His immediate worries about where he was and what he was were cast aside for the moment. A hug from her was all he usually needed to chase the darkness in his soul away. She truly made him better.

“I love you.”  He muttered into her hair, pressing a kiss to her crown.  She sighed contentedly and settled even deeper into his embrace.

His eyes flew open when his brain reconnected with his mouth.  He said those three words almost automatically, when before it petrified him to actually say it.

But somehow, they just felt so right!  And Rose didn’t seem to object.

He stepped out of their embrace slightly, the shock over his slip of the tongue clearly evident on his face.

“Rose, I…”  He tried to apologise, but she shook her head.

“It’s okay.”  She rubbed her hands over his arms before stepping back entirely.  “Come, I think we should talk. You deserve some answers.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please be patient with me when it comes to uploading more of this story. This chapter alone took me months to get out. I'll do my best to update more often.


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